Two judokas from Akwa Ibom State have qualified for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after excelling at the Commonwealth Trials organised by the Nigeria Judo Federation in Abuja.
Enku Ekuta and Immaculata Ufot earned their spots for the Games following their performances at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, where both athletes secured podium finishes in their respective weight categories. Ekuta competed in the women’s -63kg category while Ufot featured in the women’s -57kg division.
The athletes were received by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Sports on Friday, where they were formally presented to the Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, by the state Judo team led by coaches Kachi David and Adesuji Adebiyi.
Bassey described the qualification as another “harvest of excellence” for Akwa Ibom sports, noting that the achievement came shortly after successes in weightlifting and athletics.
“I will never be tired of appreciating our sports-friendly governor for all the successes we are receiving so far,” he said.
“The stand-alone sports ministry, state sports festival and the availability of equipment for all the sports have started yielding excellent fruits.”
The commissioner also praised Governor Umo Eno for creating an enabling environment for sports development and noted that the state’s reward system had continued to motivate athletes to strive for excellence.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Mrs Rosemary Ubia, described the Akwa Ibom Judo team as a “gold-winning team” and assured the athletes of the Ministry’s continued support ahead of future competitions.
On behalf of the athletes, Ufot expressed appreciation to Governor Eno, saying the government’s encouragement had inspired the team to work harder.
The Director of Sports, Mrs Brigid Otton, and the Director of Coaching and Technical Unit, Coach Catherine Ekuta, were also present at the reception.
Read the full article here
